You could be a sports person, bike rider, or your job may require you to wear a helmet. The reasons for wearing a helmet may vary, but the motto remains the same – safety. It is imperative to wear a helmet but does it affect your hair? Does wearing a helmet cause hair loss? There are various notions and speculations. Let’s try and deal with everything to understand the effects of regularly wearing a helmet and if it causes hair fall.
Does Wearing a Helmet Lead to Hair Loss?
- Usually, it’s not the helmet that affects your hair but the way you wear it, already existing hair issues and circumstances that arise after regularly wearing a helmet.
- Poor quality helmets may increase the chances of excess sweat, and regularly wearing such helmets boosts bacterial and fungal growth leading to hair loss.
- When you wear a helmet, it restricts the airflow as your hair is entirely covered. Thus, causing excess sweating in your scalp and aggravating issues such as dandruff, scalp itching and infection.
- It happens due to the warm and moist atmosphere created due to wearing a helmet.
- Ill-fitting or improperly worn helmets also cause hair loss. Any tension you feel in your hair during this process means it’s not the correct size or you aren’t wearing the helmet properly. It can cause traction alopecia.
- Traction alopecia is a condition where hair loss occurs due to constant tension or pulling of hair follicles. It is pretty common in people who tie their hair in tight buns and ponytails.
How to Protect Your Hair From Damage Due to Wearing a Helmet?
1. Some Helmet Related Tips to Protect Hair
Wearing a Good Quality Helmet is Crucial
Always buy a helmet that is certified to ensure safety as nothing is more crucial than your life. High-quality helmets consist of materials that are breathable and don’t cause skin or hair irritation.
Choose a Helmet That Properly Fits You
Once you have a good quality helmet, the next step is to look for the perfect fit. Choose a helmet that isn’t too tight or loose. Take your time to wear a helmet instead of rushing it.
Clean Your Helmet Regularly
- To have healthy hair, you need to keep your helmet clean.
- You can do it weekly or bi-weekly, but do not forget to clean your helmet.
- All good quality helmets allow you to take out the cushioning to wash it. It ensures that no dirt, germs or sweat remains there.
- When you aren’t using your helmet, keep it under sunlight in a place that’s dry and airy. Sunlight, being a natural disinfectant, prevents the growth of bacteria.
Keep an Additional Cloth Inside Your Helmet
Keep a natural fabric (cloth) inside the lining of your helmet. It prevents friction between the helmet and your hair. Using a natural fabric helps absorb sweat and protects your hair as well as the helmet. Though, you have to wash this additional layer of cloth daily to keep it clean.
2. Maintain a Healthy Scalp
The simplest way to prevent hair loss and protect hair is to keep your scalp and hair clean. You also need to work on your existing issues, such as itchy scalp or dandruff. Hence, use a mild shampoo to keep your scalp clean to ensure that there’s no dirt or oil left.
3. Keep Your Hair Moisturised
When you condition and care for your hair, it reduces the friction between hair and the inner surface of the helmet. Resulting in a decline in hair loss.
4. Scalp Massage
To help boost blood flow and get healthy hair, massage your scalp frequently. You can use an oil of your choice to gently massage your scalp to strengthen hair roots and hydrate your hair. Healthy hair, along with following other precautions, can help prevent hair loss due to wearing a helmet.
5. Choose the Right Hairstyle
A short hairstyle is easier to manage if you often wear a helmet. However, everyone doesn’t have short hair or would want to. If you have long hair, the best is to try braids or any hairstyle that isn’t tight or pulls your hair.
6. Take Breaks From Wearing a Helmet
Not everyone has this luxury or option, but if possible, do take breaks from wearing a helmet. Maybe try using other travel options or remove your helmet whenever you can to ensure airflow. Wipe off sweat and dirt to help your hair and scalp dry quickly and remain clean.
Summing Up
You cannot solely blame your helmet for your hair loss, as they aren’t the initiators. Nevertheless, it worsens the existing scalp and hair issues when you wear it frequently or for an extended period. As it concerns your life, there is no way you should skip wearing a helmet. Though, you can maintain a healthy scalp and tips mentioned above to protect your hair.
FAQs
- Is wearing a helmet bad for your hair?
No evidence suggests that wearing a helmet is bad for your hair. Instead, it is essential to protect yourself. When you wear a helmet for a longer duration, that’s when you start facing issues such as existing hair issues turning worse, traction alopecia and fungal infection.
- Why do bikers wear a bandana under their helmets?
Bikers wear a bandana under their helmets to help soak the sweat, prevent it from entering their eyes and avoid friction between the inner lining of the helmet and hair.
- What does helmet hair mean?
The flat look (your present hairstyle ) you get after removing your helmet implies helmet hair.
